Providing unified access to voice messages from disparate systems

ABSTRACT

Managing voice messages across multiple voicemail systems. A server acts as a gateway and interacts with multiple voicemail systems and with multiple user devices. The server can retrieve voice messages from one voicemail system and transmit the retrieved voice messages to another separate voicemail system without user assistance. The voice messages are transcoded as necessary. The server also enables a recipient to generate a reply voice message that can be delivered to the original sender&#39;s device or delivered to the sender in another manner, such as a Vnote, SMS or an email.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electronic messaging including voicemessaging systems. More particularly, embodiments of the inventionrelate to systems and methods for synchronized message management acrossdisparate voice message systems.

2. Related Technology

Communication is an important part of everyday life and many individualsuse more than one electronic device to communicate with others. Hometelephones, office telephones, cellular telephones, and computers areexamples of devices used by individuals to communicate. These devicesenable individuals to communicate using, for example, voicemail, email,and instant messages.

Advantageously, many of these devices provide features that enable usersto communicate at the convenience of the sender and the recipient. Asender of an email, for example, can send an email that is delivereddirectly to the mail box of the recipient. Similarly, a recipient of anemail has control over when he or she opens or replies to the receivedemail. Further, email users can easily set up their email accounts toforward received emails to other accounts. In addition, replying toemail is easy and works universally. The reply address is included inthe email message, so the receiving email system can easily address areply to the originator.

While email can typically be used and synchronized across disparateemail systems, voicemail cannot be easily managed or synchronized in thesame way. Voicemail enabled devices have much more difficulty incoordinating voice messages. For instance, a user that has both anoffice voicemail box and a personal wireless voicemail box is typicallyrequired to access each system independently in order to retrieve thevarious voicemails that the user has received.

Further, forwarding messages between voicemail systems is generally notsupported. Users can forward messages when both the sender's voicemailbox and recipient's voicemail box are within the same voicemail system.However, it is not possible for a sender to forward a message to anothervoicemail box unless the intended recipient is on the same voicemailsystem. For example, if a user receives a voicemail message that hewould like to share with a friend who uses a different voicemail system,today it is not technically possible to send that message to the friend.

Sending a reply message in response to a received voicemail messagepresents a similar problem. Today's voicemail messages have only oneaddress—the caller's phone number in the case caller ID is enabled.Since there is no standardized way to send a voice message to a phonenumber, there is no general mechanism in place that permits a user of asystem to reply to a voice message with another message unless theoriginating caller is on the same voicemail system as the recipient.This forces the recipient to place a call to the original caller, whichmay not be what the recipient wants or needs to do, to answer a simplequestion, for example.

As these examples show, the problem with voicemail systems is the lackof interconnect between the systems, making them useful only to act inthe capacity of taking a message as the result of a non-answered phonecall. A second problem exists in that checking messages is a very slow,linear process, and can involve a user dialing into several voicesystems to retrieve all the user's messages. A need in the art existsfor systems and methods that enable users to manage their messagesincluding voice messages across disparate systems, and reply to,forward, or delete those messages just as the user manages email.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other limitations are overcome by embodiments of theinvention, which relate to managing voice messages including instantvoice messages (also referred to herein as Vnotes). In one embodiment,an instant voice message, or Vnote, is a voice message that can be sentto a recipient without calling or dialing the recipient. For example, auser can select a contact, record a voice message and then send themessage to the recipient without dialing or placing a call to therecipient. The recipient can then retrieve or listen to the message athis or her leisure. Vnotes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,013,155,which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Embodiments of the invention synchronize message status across disparatevoicemail systems. A messaging service pulls voice messages fromparticipating voicemail systems and transmits the voice messages to theintended recipients. The messaging service then updates the status ofthe voice messages at all relevant voicemail systems based on theactions of the user at different devices and/or voicemail systems.Embodiments of the invention also enable users to reply to voicemessages in multiple ways from disparate voicemail systems.

In one embodiment a server provides a gateway that interfaces withvoicemail systems and with user devices. The server manages voicemessages across disparate voicemail systems. In one example, the serveraccesses a voicemail system of a user and retrieves a voice message fromthe voicemail system. The server then transmits the voice message toanother voicemail system of the user or to a user's device. The messageis transcoded to the appropriate format when necessary. Next, the serverupdates the status of the transmitted message at each voicemail system.For example, actions performed by a user at a device with respect to thetransmitted message are monitored by the server or reported to theserver by the device. The server can then update the status of the voicemessage in the originating voicemail system.

Embodiments of the invention also enable a user to reply to a voicemessage that is retrieved from a voicemail system. In this example, theoriginal voice message is transmitted to the recipient from a voicemailsystem. The server then determines that the recipient wants to send areply message. After collecting information about the original voicemessage, which may include a telephone number, a server receives thereply voice message from the recipient and transmits the reply voicemessage based on information collected about the original voice message.For example, if the original voice message originated from a PBX system,then the reply voice message is returned through the PBX system. Theoptions available for sending the reply voice message may be dependenton the receiving voicemail system. For example, a conventional PBXsystem may not accept email, MMS, or SMS messages. If, however, theoriginal voice message is associated with a mobile device (rather than aPBX), then the reply can be sent via a voice message using a Vnote, orsome form of text based messaging (e.g., SMS, MMS, email, or IM). If themechanism for replying via a phone number is unknown for the sourceaddress, the system allows the user to reply using the email addressstored in the phone's contact list or in a server-side system directoryfor that user instead.

These and other aspects of embodiments of the present invention willbecome more fully apparent from the following description and appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantagesand features of the invention are obtained, a more particulardescription of the invention briefly described above will be rendered byreference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in theappended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typicalembodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be consideredlimiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explainedwith additional specificity and detail through the use of theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a server that delivers Vnotesfrom a sender device to a recipient device;

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a server than manages voicemessages across disparate voicemail systems for multiple devices;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a server thatmanages multiple voice message formats across multiple voicemail systemsand illustrating systems and methods for replying to voice messagesincluding voicemail, Vnotes or other method including email;

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a method for replying to a voicemessage from a sender device;

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary method for sending and receiving a Vnote;and

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a method for receiving a voicemessage from one PBX system and replying to the voice message at anotherseparate PBX system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for providingunified access to voice messages and more particularly to a messagingsystem for managing voice messages across multiple voice messagingsystems. Managing voice messages across disparate or unrelated voicemessage systems enables users to interact (retrieve, play, replay, save,forward, delete, reply, etc.) with a voice message from any device orsystem. The messaging service synchronizes the altered status of voicemessages across all or some of the user's other voicemail systems.Embodiments of the invention also enable a user to reply to voicemessages in multiple ways, for example by voice, email, or instantmessaging.

The messaging service includes a voice messaging server that interactswith disparate voice message systems to provide a unified method formanaging voice messages. Through the messaging servers, users are ableto synchronize voice messages, receive voice messages, reply to voicemessages in various ways, and the like across disparate voice messagesystems. A user may also send a reply to a voice message using a Vnote,an email, or other form of communication.

Embodiments of the invention may include the use of Vnotes. In aconventional system, a caller is required to place a call to a recipientand the caller is directed to the recipient's voicemail box only whenthe recipient does not answer. The caller can then record a voicemessage that is stored in the recipient's voicemail box. A Vnote, incontrast, can be generated and sent to the recipient without placing acall to the recipient. Further, a Vnote may be stored on a server ratherthan in the recipient's voicemail box.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a Vnote and the delivery of theVnote. A caller can operate the wireless device 102 to generate a Vnote106. This may include identifying a recipient of the Vnote from acontact list, for example, or speaking the name of the recipient in someinstances. The caller can then simply speak the Vnote, which is directlytransmitted to the server 100 by the device 102 or recorded by thedevice 102 and sent to the server 100 at a later time. In either case,the Vnote 106 is transmitted to the server 100, which stores the Vnote106.

The server 100 then considers the recipient wireless device 104. If thewireless device 104 is enabled for Vnotes, the Vnote 106 can betransmitted directly to the device 104, without calling the device 104.The recipient may be visually notified, for example, that a Vnote hasbeen received by the device 104. If the device 104 is not enabled toreceive Vnotes, then a text message (such as an SMS message) may begenerated by the server 100 and sent to the device 104. The text messagemay include a telephone number that the recipient can call in order tolisten to the Vnote 106. In this manner, a device 102 can communicateusing Vnotes. The device 102 can also call the recipient and leave avoice message in the recipient's voicemail box.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary systems and methods formanaging messages, including Vnotes, across disparate voicemail systems.The server 200, which is one embodiment of the server 100 in FIG. 1,functions as a gateway between voicemail systems 202 and devices 204.The communication 208 between the voicemail systems 202 and server 200and the communication 210 between the devices 204 and the server 200 canbe wired and/or wireless communication. In addition, the communication208 and 210 can be IP based, RF based, or may rely on other protocolssuch as VPIM, IMAP, or other proprietary protocol.

The voicemail systems 202 represent various types of voicemail systems.As a result, the management of voice messages may include acommunication from one voicemail system to another voicemail systemthrough the server 200. In this example, the server 200 interacts withall of the voicemail systems 202 and with the devices 204 to managemessages including Vnotes. Advantageously, embodiments of the inventionenable voice messages generated in a particular PBX system to bedelivered to a user of another, separate, PBX system.

Setting status of voice messages can be performed at different times bythe server 200. The server 200 can track the various voice messages thatare transmitted from one voicemail system to another. The server 200also monitors the various devices and voicemail systems related to thevoice messages. This enables the server 200 to set or change status atone voicemail system for an action that occurred on a separate device orin a separate voicemail system.

Optionally, a user typically has the ability to set preferences that mayimpact whether or not the status of a voice message is changed. Forexample, a user that receives a voice message on a mobile device thatwas originally delivered to a PBX voicemail box may desire to delete thevoice message from the mobile device without deleting the voice messagefrom the PBX system. In this example, system preferences define whetherthe voice message is then moved to a “deleted” state when the userdeletes the message on the second voicemail system.

The server 200 accesses the voicemail systems 202 and sets status (read,forwarded, deleted, etc.) for the user's voicemail messages. The server200 identifies status of the voice messages on a given voicemail systemand ensures that the voice message has the same status on othervoicemail systems and in accordance with system and/or user preferenceson those voicemail systems.

Further, the server 200 enables the user of a device 204 to set orchange the status of a voice message in a voicemail system 202 withoutrequiring the user to access the corresponding voicemail system. Forexample, the server 200 may access a first voicemail system and discoverthat a new voice message is present. As the voice message is retrievedand delivered to another of the user's voicemail systems or devices, theserver 200 can also set the status of the voice message in the firstvoicemail system. Alternatively, the server 200 may wait until the voicemessage is accessed in the second voicemail system in order to determinewhat the user does with the voice message. Any change in status at thesecond voice mail system is then reflected to the first voicemail systemby the server 200.

Thus, the status is applied, in one embodiment, to the voice message asit is transferred from one voicemail system to another voicemail systemor as a voice message is delivered to a user's device. For example, thestatus of a voice message may be automatically set to “read” and/or“forwarded” when the server 200 retrieves the voice message for deliveryto a second voicemail system, to the user's mobile device, and the like.Alternatively, the server 200 can monitor the actions performed by auser with respect to a given message in the context of the secondvoicemail system and then go back to the first voicemail system tosynchronize the appropriate status to the voice message.

The server 200 can ensure that any status change to a voice message thatresults from any action performed by a user at the second mailbox can beapplied to that same voice message in the first voicemail system. Forexample, a message may be received in a user's PBX voicemail box, thenautomatically forwarded to the user's wireless voicemail box. The usermay then use his cellular device to listen to and delete this voicemessage. The user's action of deleting a voice message from the cellularvoicemail system is either monitored by the server 200 or is reported tothe server 200 by the cellular device. When the server 200 becomes awareof the change in status to the deleted voice message, the server canaccess the PBX voicemail box and cause the deletion of the voice messagefrom the user's PBX voicemail box. In this manner, the server 200manages and synchronizes voice messages in disparate voicemail systems.Other changes in status can be similarly synchronized. Because theserver 200 interfaces with all of the user's voicemail systems anddevices, the server 200 can also continue to synchronize status whenadditional voicemail systems become involved or when a user replies to avoice message.

The server 200 has server modules 206 that, in addition to providingmessage synchronization as discussed above, provide the ability to replyto a voice message, regardless of where the original voice message wasreceived. In other words, if a message is originally sent to andreceived at voicemail system A, then a copy of the message is forwardedto voicemail system B, the recipient of the forwarded message can send areply message to the sender from within voicemail system B. Becausevoice messages stored in different voicemail systems are often stored indifferent formats, the server modules 206 performs any transcoding thatmay be necessary to enable a target device to listen to and/or reply toa voice message.

The server modules 206 also provide mapping functionality, although somemapping may be implemented at the various devices 204. For example, auser that receives a voice message associated with a landline telephonenumber cannot typically send a reply voice message to a landlinetelephone (a call may be required). However, the user's device mayinclude contact information indicating that a reply can be sent to amobile device associated with the landline telephone number. Thus, thereply voice message can be sent to the caller's mobile device. The replyvoice message can also be sent to the caller's email address as anattachment, for example. In some embodiments, both the original voicemessage and the reply voice message are Vnotes that do not require auser to place a call to the intended recipient.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram further illustrating the management of voicemessages including Vnotes. The server 300, which is an embodiment of theserver 100 shown in FIG. 1, interacts with the devices 320 and thevoicemail systems 310. The admin console 340 enables an administrator toaccess the server 300 and perform administrative actions. Administrativeactions include server management, setting default actions,administering gateways to the voicemail systems 310, and the like.

Through the user console 342, users can access the server 300 and set,for example, user preferences. User preferences may include definingrules that determine how the server 300 operates on voice messages orchanges the status of the user's voice messages at each of the voicemailsystems 310. The rules may include, by way of example, setting apreferred voice message format or preferred target device, setting emailaddressing, providing mapping information used in addressing reply voicemessages, specifying specific status settings in certain instances suchas delete, and the like. In some instances, the rules or other settingscan be stored on a user's device and/or the server 300.

A user may also define rules identifying what actions should occur asthe server 300 manages messages. For example, a message received at theuser's PBX voicemail system should be routed to the user's email addressand marked as read in the user's PBX system by the server 300. Voicemessages from key customers, on the other hand, should be sent as Vnotesto the user's mobile device.

In this example, the voicemail systems 310 include a carrier voicemail312, a PBX voicemail 314, and a residential voicemail 316. The carriervoicemail 312 is usually associated with a user's mobile device and thePBX voicemail 314 is the user's work voicemail system. The residentialvoicemail 316 may be at the user's residence. The devices 320 representdevices with various capabilities. The SMS device 322 is enabled for atleast SMS communications. The MMS device 324 is enabled for at least MMScommunications. The Vnote device 326 is enabled to receive at leastVnotes, which may include other media content. Each of the devices 320may also be enabled to receive different types of messages. For example,the device 324 may be able to receive both SMS and MMS messages. Otherdevices may include a PBX telephone and the like. The device 320 mayalso include other devices such as, but not limited to, personal digitalassistants, laptop computers, and the like.

In one embodiment, the server 300 manages voice messages by periodicallypolling the voicemail systems 310, although the voicemail systems 310themselves may initiate the connection with the server 300 (such as whena new voice message is received). The ability of the server 300 toaccess these systems may be enabled when a user accesses the serverthrough the user console 342 and provides the server 300 with thenecessary credentials. As a result, the server 300 has access to auser's various voicemail boxes in disparate voicemail systems. When astatus change is detected to any voicemail in any particular voicemailsystem, that status change can replicated in the other voicemail systemsin which the user has an account. As previously indicated, the statuscan be actively monitored by the server 300 or the various voicemailsystems and devices and also initiate notice of the status change to theserver 300.

For example, a user may receive a voicemail at the PBX voicemail 314.The server 300, after polling the PBX voicemail 314 or after receiving anotice from the PBX voicemail 314, discovers the new voicemail. Theserver 300 causes the new voicemail to be delivered to the user'scarrier voicemail 312. The server 300 can also deliver the new voicemailto the user's voicemail box or deliver the voicemail as a Vnote to theuser's device or send the voice message in an email 330 or in an instantmessage 332. If necessary, the server 300 performs transcoding 336 onthe voice message before delivery to the user's device.

If the user listens to the new voicemail or to the Vnote and thendeletes the voicemail or the Vnote at the user's device, the server 300ensures that the voicemail is also deleted from the PBX voicemail 314 ifdefined in the rules established by the user. In this manner, the server300 can synchronize messages across the voicemail systems 310.

Embodiments of the invention also enable a recipient of a voice messageto send a reply. Sending a reply to a voice message is inherently moredifficult than sending a reply to an email, which usually has a built inreply address. Although the original number of the caller may beassociated with the voice message, that number does not necessarilycorrespond to a voicemail box. A call from a PBX system that results ina voice message being stored in another voicemail box outside the PBXsystem, for example, often has a general number associated with thevoice message. A reply voice message to the general number of the PBXsystem does not cause the reply voice message to reach the caller'svoicemail box. Further a number does not provide any informationrelating to the capabilities of the calling device. As a result, theability to reply to a voice message is more difficult to manage.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method for replying to voice messagesincluding Vnotes. As previously described, a server 300 may send aVnote, retrieved from a user's PBX voicemail system, to the user'smobile device. The Vnote often has a calling number associated with it,which may be stored at the server 300 or included in the Vnote.

If the recipient of the Vnote decides to send a reply Vnote, then eitheror both the recipient's device or the server become involved in thegeneration of the reply voice message. This example begins by collecting402 information relating to the calling number associated with thereceived voice message. This may be done by the server 300 as itretrieves a voice message from the originating voicemail box. If thecalling number is a PBX number 404, then a reply voice message 406 canbe generated and sent to the callers PBX voicemail box. When the server300 retrieves a voice message from a user's PBX voicemail box, thedirect line is usually known to the server 300, which enables the server300 to facilitate a reply to the PBX voicemail box.

For example, if the caller and the recipient are in the same PBX system,then the voice message received by the recipient's PBX voicemail box hasthe information needed to generate a reply to the caller's PBX voicemailbox. The server 300 can detect that the recipient has a new voicemessage in the recipient's PBX voicemail box, and then deliver thatmessage to the recipient's mobile device as a Vnote. The recipient canthen generate a reply Vnote that is directed by the server 300 to thecaller's PBX voicemail box via the recipient's PBX voicemail box. Theserver 300 typically performs any transcoding of the message that may berequired to send a voice message stored in a PBX voicemail box as aVnote to the recipient's mobile device, as well as transcoding the replyfrom the format of the mobile device to one acceptable to the PBX.

If the caller number is not a PBX number, but is determined to be amobile device number 408, then the server can examine 410 thecapabilities of the calling mobile device and send 412 a voice messagebased on those capabilities. For example, if the calling device isenabled for Vnotes, then a reply Vnote is sent to the calling device. Ifthe calling device is not enabled for Vnotes, then an SMS or MMS messagemay be sent to the device. The SMS or MMS message may includeinstructions describing how the calling device can access the replyvoice message, which may be stored by the server or on an IVR systemassociated with the server.

If the caller number is not a PBX number or a mobile number, the serveror recipient device may determine if an email address 414 is availablefor the calling number. If an email address is available, the recipienthas the option to send a text message to the email address, or to send aVnote using email, that is, an email is sent 416 with the reply Vnote asan attachment. Likewise, if a PBX number or a mobile number is availablefor the caller, the reply can be sent back to either of those systems.If none of these systems are available for the caller, the recipient maybe provided 418 with other options. The recipient may have theopportunity to call the caller directly if the calling number is, forexample, a landline device.

Although FIG. 3 illustrates a particular order for determining how tosend a reply to a voice message, one of skill in the art can appreciatethat the order can be performed in another order. The order may bedetermined, in one embodiment, by default or by user preferences.

With reference to FIG. 3, the server also provides additional featuresto manage voice messages. The mapping module 304, for example, can beused to map PBX numbers in a database. As the database grows, the server300 gains the ability to manage voice messages across disparate PBXsystems. As a result, a user in one PBX system can generate a voicemessage including a Vnote that is delivered directly to the voicemailbox of a user in a separate PBX system. The server can begin to build adatabase of numbers that are associated with specific PBX systems.

The transcoding module 336 enables the server 300 to accommodate thevarious features and capabilities of disparate voicemail systems 310 anddevices 320. Providing a transcoding module 336 relieves the voicemailsystems of the responsibility of ensuring message compatibility. Theserver 300 takes the responsibility of ensuring that a particularmessage is compatible with the receiving voicemail system or device inthis example. The voicemail systems, however, are not precluded fromgenerating voice messages in the appropriate format.

Further, the server can use email 330, instant messaging 332, and otherthird party services 334 to manage voice messages across multiplevoicemail systems. For example, the mapping module 304 may indicate thatvoice messages from a given number or from a given PBX system, can bereplied to using email. Thus, the mapping module 304 provides voicemessage routing capabilities.

In one embodiment, the address mapping capabilities can be performed ata device. The contact information for a given caller for example, mayspecify that reply voice messages are to be delivered as reply Vnotes toa specific mobile device, or are to be delivered in another specifiedmanner.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of voice message management including theability to reply to a Vnote. In this example, the sender device 502creates a Vnote 504 that is delivered to the sender's server 506. Theserver 506 determines or already is aware that the recipient device 510is not enabled to receive Vnotes. In this example, the server 506 thustranscodes the Vnote into a voicemail format and then sends thetranscoded voice message to the recipient's server 508, which routes thevoice message to the recipients voicemail. Alternatively, the sender'sserver 506 may store the message at an IVR server and send an SMSmessage to the recipient device 510 as previously described.

The recipient device 510 thus receives a voicemail. In one example, thesender's server 506 adds a tag to the voicemail that facilitates areply. In this case, the recipient sends a voicemail reply message thatis received by the sender's server 506. The server 506 transcodes thereply voice message into a reply Vnote 512 and delivers it to the senderdevice 502.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of message management. In thisexample, the server 606 detects a voicemail message 604 in a user's PBXvoicemail box 602. The server 606 retrieves the voicemail and thentranscodes the voicemail into a Vnote 608, which is delivered to themobile device 610 of the user.

At the mobile device 610, the user decides to reply to the Vnote. Duringmessage synchronization, the server 606 determines the action performedby the user at the device 610 and then updates the status of thevoicemail message 604 at the PBX voicemail box 602.

The type of reply generated at the mobile device 610 can take differentforms as previously described. In some instances, the preferred replytype is selected automatically by the server 606 or by the device 610itself. In the case where the reply is via email 612, the server 606 maytranscode the reply voice message into the appropriate format for emailand then send the reply voice message in an email to the recipient'semail box 620.

On the other hand, the user may reply using a reply Vnote 614. In thisexample, the original voicemail message 604 was received from a callerassociated with the PBX voicemail box 618 (which may be in anindependent PBX system). The server 606 receives the reply Vnote,transcodes the reply Vnote to voicemail format, and then delivers thevoicemail to the PBX voicemail box 618. In the case where the PBXvoicemail box 618 and 602 are in the same PBX system, the delivery ofthe reply voicemail to the PBX voicemail box 618 can be achieved throughthe PBX voicemail box 602. In the case where the PBX voicemail box 618of the caller is in a different PBX system, the delivery of the replyvoicemail or Vnote may be achieved using the mapping module that tracksnumbers associated with PBX systems. Alternatively, the mapping modulemay direct the reply voicemail to another device of the caller such asthe caller's mobile voicemail system or to the caller's email.

The embodiments of the present invention may comprise a special purposeor general-purpose computer including various computer hardware, asdiscussed in greater detail below. Embodiments within the scope of thepresent invention also include computer-readable media for carrying orhaving computer-executable instructions or data structures storedthereon. Such computer-readable media can be any available media thatcan be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By wayof example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media cancomprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to carry or store desired program code means inthe form of computer-executable instructions or data structures andwhich can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.When information is transferred or provided over a network or anothercommunications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combinationof hardwired or wireless) to a computer, the computer properly views theconnection as a computer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection isproperly termed a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions anddata which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function orgroup of functions.

The following discussion is intended to provide a brief, generaldescription of a suitable computing environment in which the inventionmay be implemented. Although not required, the invention will bedescribed in the general context of computer-executable instructions,such as program modules, being executed by computers in networkenvironments. Generally, program modules include routines, programs,objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasksor implement particular abstract data types. Computer-executableinstructions, associated data structures, and program modules representexamples of the program code means for executing steps of the methodsdisclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executableinstructions or associated data structures represents examples ofcorresponding acts for implementing the functions described in suchsteps.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may bepracticed in network computing environments with many types of computersystem configurations, including personal computers, hand-held devices,multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and thelike. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computingenvironments where tasks are performed by local and remote processingdevices that are linked (either by hardwired links, wireless links, orby a combination of hardwired or wireless links) through acommunications network. In a distributed computing environment, programmodules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only asexemplary and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore,indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription. All changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. A method for managing voice messages across disparate voicemailsystems, the method comprising: accessing a first voicemail system of auser; retrieving at least one voice message from the first voicemailsystem; transmitting the at least one voice message to a secondvoicemail system of the user, the second voicemail system independent ofthe first voicemail system; and updating a status of the at least onemessage at both the first voicemail system and the second voicemailsystem.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a first voicemailsystem further comprises providing credentials to the voicemail systemand providing credentials to the second voicemail system.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein retrieving at least one voice message from the firstvoicemail system further comprises changing a status of the at least onevoice message as the at least one voice message is retrieved.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein transmitting the at least one voice messagefurther comprises transcoding the at least one voice message to a formatcompatible with the second voicemail system.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein transmitting the at least one voice message further comprisestranscoding the at least one voice message to a Vnote.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein updating the status of at least one message furthercomprises updating the status in response to a user action.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the user action comprises listening to aVnote.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the user action comprisesdeleting a voice message on a mobile phone.
 9. A method for managingvoice messages across disparate voicemail systems, the methodcomprising: accessing a first voicemail system of a user; retrieving avoice message from the first voicemail system from a sender, the voicemessage associated with a first address of the sender; creating a replyvoice message to the voice message; mapping the first address of thesender to a second address for the, sender; and transmitting the replymessage to the sender using the second address.
 10. The method of claim9, wherein mapping the first address of the sender to a second addressfor the sender further comprises mapping phone number informationassociated with the voice message to at least one of: a mobile phonenumber, an email address, a PBX phone number, an IM address, or an MMSaddress.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the replymessage further comprises transmitting the reply voice message as atleast one of: a reply voice message, a reply Vnote, an attachment in anemail, an instant message, or an SMS message or MMS message withinstructions to access the reply voice message.
 12. A computer readablemedium having computer executable instructions for performing the methodof claim
 9. 13. A method for replying to a voice message that isretrieved from a voicemail system, the method comprising: transmitting avoice message to a recipient, wherein the voice message was retrievedfrom a first voicemail box associated with the recipient; determiningthat the recipient desires to send a reply voice message to the voicemessage; collecting information related to the voice message, theinformation identifying an original sender of the voice message;receiving the reply voice message from the recipient; and transmittingthe reply voice message to the caller based on the information collectedabout the voice message.
 14. The method of claim 13, whereintransmitting the voice message to a recipient further comprisestransmitting the voice message as a Vnote.
 15. The method of claim 13,wherein transmitting the voice message to a recipient further comprisestransmitting the voice message to a second voicemail box associated withthe recipient.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting thevoice message to a recipient further comprises synchronizing a status ofthe voice message at the first voicemail box and at a second voicemailbox.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting a voice message toa recipient further comprises: monitoring actions performed by the useron a device; and updating a status of the voice message stored in thefirst mail box based on the actions performed by the user on the devicethat receives the voice message.
 18. The method of claim 13, whereintransmitting the reply voice message to the caller based on informationcollected about the voice message further comprises: determining if thefirst voicemail box is a PBX voicemail system based on a telephonenumber included in the information; and transmitting the reply voicemessage to a PBX voicemail box of the caller through the PBX voicemailsystem.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the reply voicemessage to the caller based on information collected about the voicemessage further comprises: determining that the telephone number isassociated with a mobile device; identifying capabilities of the mobiledevice; and sending the reply voice message as a reply Vnote if themobile device is enabled for Vnotes.
 20. The method of claim 19, furthercomprising: storing the reply voice message at an IVR system; andsending an SMS message or an MMS message to the mobile device if themobile device is not enabled for Vnotes, either the SMS message or theMMS message including instructions for retrieving the reply voicemessage from the IVR system.
 21. The method of claim 13, whereintransmitting the reply voice message to the caller based on informationcollected about the voice message further comprises: mapping theinformation to a preferred reply channel; and transmitting the replyvoice message through the reply channel, wherein the reply channel isone of: a Vnote to a mobile device; an email having the voice message asan attachment; an MMS message providing access to an audio portion ofthe voice message; an instant message; or a voice message.
 22. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising: transcoding the voice messagefrom a first format to a second format; and transcoding the replymessage from the second format to the first format.
 23. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising transmitting the reply voice message to aPBX voicemail system associated with the caller, wherein a number forthe PBX voicemail system of the caller is stored in a database.
 24. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the information includes a telephone numberassociated with the caller.